Clutch mechanism



Allg- 30, 1932- E. LQACKERMAN ETAL cfzLUTcH lmcmmrsu Filed lay 13.' 19302 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

llg- 30, 1932.- E'. l.. ACKERMAN E'rAl. 1,874,215

CLUTCH MECHANISM Filed may 1s, 1930 2 sheets-sheet 2 /2 f l M" ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug.`3o, 1932 UNITDvl-STATES PATENT oki-FICE EDWARD L.ACKERMAN-AND ALOIS J. ZWIERZINA, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOBS TOACKERMAN-BLAESSER-FEZZEY, INC.,

OF MICHIGAN Application `ilerl May 13,V

ment to the window except upon operation of the regulator handle.

An object of the-invention is' to provide a clutch mechanism which willlock the window in any position in which it is desiredto be left.

Another object ofthe invention is to pro-'i vide a clutch mechanism inwhich there is no lost motion between the driven element and the windowregulator element. p

A. further object of the invention is to provide a clutch mechanismconsisting of a stationary cup, and a second cup secured to the othercup and in axial alignment therewith and a pair of helical springsarranged concentrically within the larger cup so that operation of theregulator handle in either direction will cause the larger diameterspring to contra-ct and the smaller diameter spring to expand, thuspermitting the driving element to be rotated freely and further that,due to` the double'spring within the cup shaped member and the means oflocking the driven member against rotation except by operation of theregulator handle, no lost motion of the driven member is possible as thedriven member will be immediately locked when the regulater handle is nolonger in operation.

A still further object of the inventionk is to provide a clutchmechanism which may be A enclosed in a single cup shaped member se curedto one face of a lock board or other ele'- ment and so constructed as toprevent movement from being 1mparted to the regulator arm when theregulator handle is not being operated. l l

These objects and the several novel features of the invention arehereinafter moreV fully described and claimed and the preferred form ofconstruction by which these objects -are attained is shown in theaccompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is an elevational view of anautomobile door embodying our invention.V

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view taken from the left handside of Fig. 3.

on DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A comomzvrrolv CLUTCH MECHANISM 1930. Serial No.4152,086.

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

, Fig. 4 is a perspective taken on line 4-4 of Fig.I 3. Y.

Fig. 5 is a series of perspective views of some of the elementscomprising our clutch structure. c

Referring now to the drawings, the door lv has the pane of glass 2slidably mounted in suitable guide channels positioned atA both sides ofthe opening 3. A lock board4 of standard construction extends betweenthe side frames of the door 1 andbelow the openmg 3 and a regulator arm5 is pivoted at one end as at G to the lock board and is provided withthe toothed segment 7.

The opposite end of the regulator arm is provided with a roller 8 forengaging in a slot 9 provided on the lower` end of the glass pane 2 forraising and lowering the same when the regulator handle is operated7 allof such structure as described being well knownv in the art.

Referring now to Fig. 2, 3 and 4, it will be se .i that the cup shapedmember 10 is provided with the outwardly extending flanged portion 11having the punched out portions 12 therein for inserting the same insuitable apertures in the lock board 4. The outer edge ofthe punchedout'portionsv 12 may then be bent over as indicated at 13 thus rigidlyclamping the cup shaped member 10 to the lock board 4. The lock boardmay be further` provided with an aperture 14 of a diameter slightlygreater than the reduced end portion 15 Vof the shaft 16 the sameforming a bearing for one end of the said shaft. The cup'shaped member10 is provided with the end wall portion 2O and the sameprovided with abearing portion. 1? for supporting the opposite end of the shaft 16 tothe reduced end portion 15. The end of the shaft 16 extending outwardlyfrom the cup shaped member lG'is squaredI as indicated at 18 for re-Cevng the 11egulltor handle 19 thereon, the Y* (lil the end wall 2O ofthe cup shaped member 10 and is provid-ed with the cylindrical portion22 extending toward the open end of the cup shaped member 10l and of adiameter slightly greater than the diameter of the shaft 16 and the endwall 23 thereof is provided with the aperture 24 of a diameter slightlygreater than the hub portion 25 of the shaft 16. The shaft 16 betweenthe portion 25 and the reduced end 15 is provided with the enlargedportion 26 the sides of the same being flattened as indicated at 27 fora purpose to be later described.

Loosely mounted upon'the reduced end portion 15 is a gear 28 having ahub 29 extending from one face thereof the contour of the hub portionbeing the same as the contour of the aperture 30 in the' driven member31 so that when the pinion 23 and the driven member 31 are assembledthey will form an integral unit. A pair of arcuate lugs 32 and 33 areformed integral with the driven member 31 and ex tend toward the endwall 2O of the cup shaped member 10. The said lugs are providedrespectively with the notches 34 and 35 for receiving one end of each ofthe helical springs 36 and 37. The outer diameter of the spring 36 isslightly more than the inner diameter of the cup shaped member 10 in itsnormal condition and the inturned end 33 engages in the notch in the lug33 while the inturned end 39 engages in a space 40 formed between oneend of the lug 32'and the adjacent end of the lug 41 formed integralwith the driving member 42.

A similar lug 43 is positioned approximately dia-metrically opposite thelug 41 as will be clearly understood by reference'to Fig. 4. The insidediameter of the spring 37 is slightly less than the diameter ofthecylindrical portion 22 of the member 21 and the out turned end 44 of thesaid spring engages in the notch 34 in the lug 32, while the end 45engages in the space 46 formed between one end of the lug 32 and theadjacent end of the lug 43 of the driving member 42. By reference toFig. 5 it will be seen that the aperture 47 formed in the driving member42 is of the same shape as the enlarged portion 26 formed on the shaft16 so that when the member 42 is assembled thereon rotation of the shaft16 will cause the driving member 42 to be rotated. A pair of lugs 50 and51 are formed on the driving member 42, the lug 50 positioned betweenthe lug 33 and the lug 41^ and the lug 51 positioned between the lugs 43and 33.

By reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the space between the lug 50and the adjacent end of the lug 33 is somewhat greater than the spacebetween the end 45 of the spring 37 and the adjacent end of the lug 43and likewise the space betwen the lug 51 and adjacent end of the lug 33is somewhat greater than the space between the inturned end 39 of thespring 36 and the adjacent end of the lug 41.

When the regulator handle 19 is operated to cause the shaft 16 to rotatein a direction as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4 the driving member 42being positively hired to the shaft 16 will be rotated at the same speedas the shaft and the lug 41 on the drive member will engage the inturnedend 39 of the spring 36 and since the weight of the window will cause adrag upon the gear 28 and consequently upon the lugs 32 on the drivenmember 31 the spring 36 will be contracted ciently to allow the same tobe freely rotated within the cup shaped member 10. [-fter the spring hasbeen released from binding engagement with the casing the lug 51 on thedriving member 42 will come to contact with the adjacent end of the lug33 and thus cause the member 31 and the gear 23 attached thereto to bepositively driven and since the segment 7 is in mesh with the said gearthe regulator arm 5 will be caused to move upwardly closing the aperture3 in the door 1. At the same time that the lug 51 comes into contactwith the lug 33 and causes a rotation of the driven member 32 a reverseaction will take place upon the spring 37. In other words7 the lug 32engaging the outturned end 44 of the spring 37 will cause the same toeXpand thus permitting the spring to be rotated freely around thecylindrical portion 22 of the member 21.

When the shaft 16 is not being driven, the weight of the window isimposed on the gear 28 tending to turn the same and the attached member31 in a direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 4 thereby causing the lug33 to act through the end 33 of the spring 36 to expand the same againstthe wall of the cup member 10. This is the relationship and function ofthe parts in the mounting shown in Fig. 1. Oftentimes the mounting isreversed under which condition the weight of the sash would tend to turnthe gear in the opposite direction and under this condition the weightof the sash is transmitted through the lug 32 and the end 44 of thespring 37 tending to contract the same against the cylindrical portion22. Thus, in either character of installation, the weight of the sashcauses the driven member 31 to be locked against material rotation.

When the shaft 16 is rotated in a direction opposite to that as shown bythe arrow in Fig. 4 the lug 43 will first engage the outturned end 45 ofthe spring 37 thus expanding the said spring so that the Same may befreely turned around the cylindrical portion 22 of the member 21. Thelug 50 will then come into contact with the lug 33 causing the drivenmember to be positively operated from the driving member and inasmuch asthe space between the outturned end 45 of the spring 37 and adjacent endof the lug 32 is greater than the space between the lug 50 arrangedwithin said cup and'in normal frictional engagement therewith, a driveshaft, a driven member connected to said springs, means actuated by the4drive shaft when turned in either direction for causing the release ofsaid lcoiled springs Jfrom locking engagement with said cup atthe timelof actuation of'said driven member.

10. In a clutch mechanism, a stationary element, a pair of coiledsprings substantially concentrically arranged therewithin and in normalfrictional engagement therewith, a driving shaft, a driven memberYconnected with both said springs, the arrangement providing thatpressure applied to the driven element to turn the'same in eitherdirection increases the rictional Vcontact of one or the other of thesprings depending upon the direction of rotation, and means .between thedriving shaft and driven element actuatable by rotation of the drivingshaft in either direction to correspondingly drive the driven element,both said springs being released from locking engagement with thestationary element at the time the driven element is turned.

11. In a clutch mechanism, a stationary element, a pair of coiledsprings positioned vtherein and in normal rictional engagement withseparate portions thereof, adriving element, a driven element connectedwith both said springs and limitedly rotatable relative to the drivingelement, the arrangement providing that rotation of the driven elementin etherldirection increases rictional contact of one or the other ofthe springs depending upon the directionfof rotation, and means betweenthe driving and driven elements acv tuatable by rotation of the drivingelement in either direction to correspondingly drive the driven element,the said means on rotation by the driving element in either directionreleasing one of the springs and the driven element releasing the other.

12. In a clutch mechanism, a pair of stationary cups, a coiled springfor" each cup adapted for rictional engagement therewith, a drivenmember connected to the coiled springs, a shaft extending centrallythrough the cups,.and a member actuated by rotation of the shaft torelease both the coiled springs from the respective cups and finallyengage Y the driven member.

In testimony whereof we sign this specification.

EDWARD L. ACKERMAN. ALOIS J. ZWIERZINA.

